ST. PAUL, Minn., – December 2, 2005 – A report released today by three Minnesota education organizations reveals that the state falls $1 billion short in the investment needed to support higher student achievement. The report, "Determining the Cost of Education in Minnesota," picks up where the work of the Governor’s Education Funding Reform Task Force Report left off last year. It is the first step in answering the often-asked question "How much does it cost to educate a student to meet Minnesota’s academic standards."

"As a school board member, I am often asked what it costs to educate a student to Minnesota’s standards," said Carol Bomben, Chair of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts and an Eden Prairie School Board Member. "This study begins to answer that important question and provides vital information to our state policy makers as they work to reform our education funding system."

John Myers, a nationally recognized education finance expert with Augenblick, Palaich, and Associates, is the author of the latest report. Using data from the Governor’s Education Funding Reform Task Force Report released in 2004, he finds a nearly $1 billion gap between the investment Minnesota has been making in education and what is required in order for students to meet the state’s mandated academic standards. The governor’s Task Force made several key recommendations; however, it stopped short of estimating the costs of educating students to state and national standards.

"It should come as no surprise to those familiar with the Minnesota education scene that our public schools are underfunded," said Greg Vandal, a Schools for Equity in Education board member and Sauk Rapids-Rice Superintendent. "Myers’ work confirms what many have suspected for years: Minnesota’s current investment in its schools falls short of what is required to meet state and federal accountability requirements."

The study provides a different approach to funding schools than what has been followed in the past. Like many states, Minnesota determines its school funding formulas based on total available revenue and does not take into consideration the state and federal expectations for student performance. Funding levels do not reflect the dollars needed to pay for standard-based reform, which the federal government and most states—including Minnesota—have decided is the best way to improve K-12 education.

"In continuing the work of the Task Force, we are trying to change the focus of school funding from one based solely on available resources to one rationally linked to student learning and achievement," said Vandal. "We are supporting a change in how we fund education in Minnesota."

Myers states that one of the strengths of the governor’s Task Force was a recommendation to conduct further studies that would determine the dollar value of a base student cost and adjustments. In view of this, education organizations are planning to continue working with Myers to complete a full adequacy (i.e. costing out) study.

In working with John Myers, three education organizations representing approximately 80 percent of Minnesota’s public school students have followed through with the recommendations in the governor’s Task Force Report. The Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), the Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA), and Schools for Equity in Education (SEE) have come together in an unprecedented partnership to work with Myers and do the work recommended by the Task Force. It is expected that additional education organizations will join this effort as it moves to the next phase.

"We stand together with a unified message that the state must address the funding gap identified in this study. We look forward to working with our state policy makers to ensure that every Minnesota student has the opportunity to reach their full potential," said Jerry Ness, Executive Director of the Minnesota Rural Education Association.

AMSD represents 27 metropolitan school districts and three joint powers districts. Those 30 districts serve approximately one-third of the state’s students.

MREA is an association of 150 school districts located in non-metropolitan Minnesota. MREA represents about 40 percent of the state's independent school districts.

SEE is a consortium of 57 school districts in both Twin Cities suburbs and Greater Minnesota. SEE districts serve one-third of the state’s public school students.

http://www.schoolsforequity.org/Press_Release_12-2-05.pdf